Life After Undergrad: Nursing School Edition | 05.07.10
They may not get the white coat or the prestige of being called “Doctor”, but nurses are as invaluable to the health community as anyone. Often times, nurses do as much, if not more, for patients than doctors (at least that’s what my nurse friends tell me).
Anyone who chooses nursing as a career path realizes that becoming a nurse is a great opportunity to help patients and potentially save lives. If you are interested in a career in medicine and have top-notch bedside manner, paying for nursing school might seem tricky, but there are a number of fine student loan options:
Federal loans. Many of the same federal loan options available to you as an undergraduate are still an option for attending nursing school. Just fill out a new FAFSA application to determine your financial aid need. You can borrow up to $20,500 ($8,500 of which can be subsidized) and the loan carries a 6.8 percent interest rate. You can also file for a Grad PLUS loan, which allows you to borrow up to the cost of education minus any other financial aid. The Grad PLUS loan carries an 8.5% interest rate.
Private Loans. If federal loans combined with any grants/scholarships -visit Student Scholarship Search for the Internet’s largest source of nurse-specific scholarships - for which you may be eligible are not enough, you may consider private loans to cover some of the cost of a nursing school education. Private loans let you borrow right up to the full cost of attendance.
Repayment options: One of the perks of becoming a nurse is the added eligibility of a loan forgiveness program. As the demand for nurses grows, the federal and state governments are offering to help pay back some of your student loan debt. Typically, the amount the government pays is dependent on the need of the area and the number of years you are willing to work there. Contact the Health Resources and Services Administration at 1-800-221-9393 for more details.
ScholarshipPoints code: NURSE
Image credit: jenny morros on Flickr
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this information is really helpful, I don't want to be a nurse but it helpful to anyone
Be a Nurse is great, but it is just not for everybody
ah! i'd love to be a nurse!
my mom wants me to switch my major to nursing.. but i dont want to be a nurse.. i want to be a doctor but i guess i could give it a try
I'd be a nurse if I can't get into any thing else. Would look good if i wanted to major in medicine.
I so want to become a nurse ..Im a hands on persons who understands change and pain…
I was originally at school for nursing but now i am torn between nursing and physical therapy. this is really helpful though
I'm not going into nursing, but this is cool and interesting because I do have a friend who just became a nurse this semester!
I' m going for my nursing right now. man its a lot of work i tell you. sometime i feel like the doc aren't doing nothing
I have a lot of friends that are looking into the nursing field. This is helpful information for them.
Very helpful information. I am a prospective nursing student!
Everyone is saying they would like to be a nurse. I am a nurse. Just do it! Loan repayments ect are available from the government and if you go into rural nursing or the Indian Health Services for underserved areas, they will pay the bill!
My mom is a nurse too!
it's true that nurses play a big role in hospitals and other places but i don't think that i'd like to take out a loan. i know i'm going to have to either way but with the information posted on here makes me feel a little more comfortable.
My mother is a nurse and years back the same rules applied
good info to have
nurses play big roles on the hospitals staff
this is really great! i plan on being a nurse, but have no idea how im going to afford it.
i agree that nurses are as important as doctors, but doctors go through more training and schooling then nurses, maybe thats why they get more respect and are valuable.
I hope to become a nurse.
I will really like to be a nurse
really good information i would love to be nurse